So the full-sized USB port is on the bottom. That just about rules out a USB-stick modem, which answers some vague language I just read at the Lenovo site. I also understand that the pointer on the folio-cover keyboard is an optical trackball rather than a mechanical mouse mover.

I'm fairly unhappy with a device that won't let me use my wireless stick that I already pay for and for which I deliberately got a USB device to use with future devices. Sure, I could use it with a short extension cord, I guess. That's not even good for other accessories! Why am I thinking they did this just to push us into buying their accessories?

Well, I've been watching videos on the modern vast wasteland (YouTube) and I've seen several demos of flipping it 90 degrees and back. My, er, Entourage Dual-book (7" folding Froyo e-reader/tablet) DOES rotate the tablet side 180, 270, and 90 degrees, so maybe the Thinkpad tab does too.

A number of Android tablets out there support the USB stick, including the strange little duck of one I have now. I understand that it requires kernel support and the driver installed. A few manufacturers leave it out because the include built in WAN, and on some the 3G icon (or the menu settings under Networking) only appears when a USB modem is installed.

I understand that it requires kernel support and the driver installed.

The point is that getting consistently good enough 3G reception on a mobility device where its orientation is not fixed by its inherent physical parameters is basically incompatible with using a external 3G USB stick (quite apart from the ergonomic issues that such a device also poses)

Concerning broadband cellular access: it seems that the Slate features a SIM-Card slot, so you might be able to, erm, roam accordingly to thy desire, if you purchase the 3G enabled version, according to what the Youtube video presentation. It's next to the SD card Slot.

_________________current: Experimenting on a T420s, (should I get two of these machines to mod to FHD and 2K)?X61T (with an X60T screen ), T60p , SXGA+, 4:3 Only, Opera User, former:T60, T30, 380E

Concerning broadband cellular access: it seems that the Slate features a SIM-Card slot, so you might be able to, erm, roam accordingly to thy desire

The basis of the 3G service offering is not totally clear to me as yet...... but it seems that it is unlikely to be locked into ISP specific post-paid plans in most markets, and is more likely to use pre-paid data pack (and SIMs) from whichever ISPs decide there's a market in supporting tablet devices.

From my understanding, this is most likely going to be a new(ish) 3G service approach for North American users, but is a fairly standard 3G service model for tablet devices in quite a few parts of the world.